Brooklyn Green Team

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

It is with some sadness, but also optimism, that we write, fellow superheroes, to let you know about a big decision. Us 5 superheroes have decided that we aren’t able to devote the necessary resources, nay, superpowers to keep the Brooklyn Green Team at a level of activity and progress we can be proud of. We've accomplished so much over the years with your help but as of late for various personal reasons and professional obligations have slipped in our level of activity. (Please don't think it means we don't care about the environment: we work with our students, we spend more time volunteering outside, we contribute time and resources to community gardens etc.)

Brooklyn Green Team is such a great project – and provides such useful information for Brooklynites – that we want to keep it alive. We’re looking for new superheroes to take the reins. Would you or someone you know be interested in spearheading Brooklyn Green Team (at least our blog) and taking it to greater, new heights?

If so, please send sharkgirl65@gmail.com an email and let's get a conversation started.

Monday, May 2, 2011

May is a frantic month in northern hemisphere gardens. Warm climates change rapidly to hot climates. Colder gardens suddenly appear out of nowhere and demand attention. You may not need a list of what to do in the garden in May, because it is staring you in the face every time you walk through your garden. But here are some reminders of what you can do. Don’t panic. The season is just beginning.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

We tested out the latest line of Envirosax. As you can see, the new line is super cute - they have lots of great patterns and they participate in 1% of the planet which is cool. The downside to the totes is that they don't have a structured bottom so your stuff can sometimes wind up in one big jumble.

Also, if you need to buy a tote bag (don't we all have about 50 by now?), you might look for one that's made from recycled materials (Envirosax are made from polyester). Though it looks like now the company has a new organic series which is cool.

The takeaway? Don't use plastic bags! Keep a tote on you at all times (these handy devils fold up in your bag and they're cute!)

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

One of us Green Team members had a chance to screen Sebastian Copeland's film Into The Cold.

In a nutshell, the film follows adventurers Sebastian Copeland and Keith Heger through intensive physical training before embarking on a harrowing journey to the North Pole, the first HD documentary showcasing such footage. From personal reflections to last minute preparations, the story shifts when the two men are dropped onto the ice and faced with temperatures in excess of -50F degrees.

This Green Team member liked it. It certainly called attention to the dire state of the planet but in a way distinct from the onslaught of enviro docs. The footage and the experience of the two hikers told the story of the environmental impact playing out in the arctic. Worth watching for the incredible scenery, watching the remarkable feat of Sebastian and Keith unfold, and for a reminder we all need that everything is, indeed, connected.

Monday, March 28, 2011

A: I will be competing for Miss Teen Earth New York in the summer and hopefully moving on to Miss Teen Earth United States. I have been doing pageantry since I was seven and was really drawn to this pageant because of its focus "beauties for a cause". Besides the evening wear, swim suit, and interview competition, it is about giving back and getting involved with environmental issues.

Q:Tell us a Little About Yourself

A: I am 18 years old born and raised in New York. I was just featured in Supermodels Unlimited Magazine Most Beautiful Edition and took part in their runway show as well as shooting for their summer issue. I go to the Fashion Institute of Technology for Fashion Design. I do custom designs for proms, pageants, christenings, and am an intern for designer Rolando Santana. In high school I went to a fashion program half a day everyday and at the end of the year we put on a fashion show. One of our show themes was Go-Green and this is where my interest in sustainability in fashion began.

Q:Within the issues of environment, what are you most passionate about?

A: Wasted Wonders is a program that I have started and you can say that is my platform. It is broken down to three categories 1)Fashion 2)Beauty 3) Crafts. This program is about spreading the word of "going green" in our everyday lives but it focus' a lot on children and how they can help. The program is set up for going to schools in NYC and doing projects from one of the three categories. Fashion: men's shirts into skirts, t-shirts into reusable grocery bags, Jewelry and bags from scrap fabric or clothing, etc., and using sustainable fabrics or fabrics with finishings that are better for the environment. Beauty: Making lotions, face masks, makeup, ect. out of organic and natural materials. Crafts: Banks out of bottles, picture frames from cd cases, snack boxes from milk and juice cartons, etc.

Q: What are You Doing Locally to Make a Difference?

A: Besides Wasted Wonder, I also volunteer at Prospect Park for nature crafts with kids and have started a charity project/event called Runway To Recovery which I try and keeps as "green" as possible by selling tickets and sending information through the internet so we can cut down on paper and using scrap fabrics from my school's fabric lab and left overs from fabric stores. I also joined the sustainability club in my college so that I can learn more about this as well. I am also in the process of getting delis and bagel stores to send food over to homeless shelters that I would help them in deliver. My priority is to put use to what is being wasted in many different ways. I am always up for new projects and appearances in order to help out.

Q: What Can Any New Yorker Do themselves to Create a Better Environment?

A: It is so easy to create a healthier environment and there are a million ways to do it. Recycle! It is easy and can make a huge difference. Use what you already have there is no need to create waste. In regards to my project Wasted Wonders, there is so much you can do, like making your own laundry detergent, make a reusable grocery bag so you can cut down on plastic bags, decorating your room or your child's, or siblings with green crafts they are fun and easy and even better than that hand made and personalized. Everybody has a different lifestyle and can research ways be a part of this "green" movement in their everyday lives.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Essie Green Galleries will be exhibiting the photographs of 18 fifth graders from Manhattan Country School in New York City and 12 fifth graders from Children's Hope India in Gujarat, India. The students participated in a 10-week sustainable photography exchange between New York and India. As part of their unit on sustainability, students collected and studied more than 200 pictures on how they use water, food, energy and plastic.

MCS' fifth grade class will be on hand to discuss the experience and what they've learned about natural resources and its availability internationally, nationally and domestically.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Hooray!!! Thanks to a pilot program operated by GrowNYC and with funding from the NYC Council and Speaker Quinn, starting MARCH 5, BK residents will be able to drop their compost off at Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn Borough Hall and McCarren Park.

Brooklyn Green Team is a grassroots organization devoted to reducing the environmental impact of ourselves and inspiring others to do the same by making small changes which make a big difference. Our blog offers useful tips, resources and news that can inspire green practices. Our Eco-Challenges such as the No Plastic Bag Challenge or the Bring Your Own Mug Challenge asks individuals to pledge to make small lifestyle changes in order to make a difference through collective action. Please contact us with your ideas, anything.

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Park Slope Food Co-op Recycling DaysSome of the plastic the city won't take can be taken to the co-op even if you are not a member, this includes #1 and #2 plastics (not bottes or jugs), #4, #5 (only cups, tubs, caps and lids), and plastic film like dry cleaning bags, wrappers, etc. (no cellophane). All the plastic must be very clean and dry, particularly the #5 plastic. The coop can only accept plastics at the designated times listed below, and you must be willing to remain with your plastic while workers help you to sort it.